Brianna Fano Debuts Her First Jewelry Collection

We all have them. The conversation starter - the element we add to our getup when we want to be noticed. For me, it comes in a form of a bracelet. It doesn't matter if I’m sporting a gala dress, or rocking some grungy sweats, it's my bracelet that always steals the spotlight.

And let me tell you, the story of how I got this bracelet is one of divine fate! There I was slurping down a dirty filthy martini in downtown Manhattan when she comes traipsing in with bouncing curly hair, a friendly smile and a fresh aura like she didn't have a care in the world. I was instantly drawn to her wrist where a vintage golden watch face sealed inside large round clear Lucite with a braided rope band was smiling back at me. "I LOVE YOUR BRACELET!" I blurted out, like a knee-jerk reaction at the doctor’s office. She graciously replied with a humble, “thank you” and promptly removed it from her wrist. (Note: this is where the story gets really good…) "Take it! It's yours. I designed it myself!" I couldn't refuse her gift (Not that I wanted to). The piece was gorgeous. I would be mental not to take it. Since then, Brianna Fano has been high on our radar for young up-and-coming designers. The Parson’s graduate earned her stripes in fashion, but is mere milliseconds away from debuting her first formal jewelry collection. One of the most interesting features in Fano's collection is her choice of materials. We caught up with the young designer to get some insight. "For a while I had been looking for a material that allowed for more formal flexibility while still maintaining a strong material presence." Fano explained. "Through working with a local fabricator I started to experiment with Lucite and was really pleased with the results. In this specific collection I started off using rope and Lucite but it wasn't until I brought in the vintage feel of chain and hinges where I really felt like the collection solidified. Since then I have continued to look for ways that I can push Lucite to play an integral role in my collections."

As luck would have it fate intervened that day, and we’re glad it did. For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of a divinely inspired jewelry swap over dirty martinis, don’t fret. You can get a glimpse of Fano’s lovely Lucite eye candy at her launch party tomorrow night (Details here) .  You can thank us later!

Photography : Sebastian Smith